For organizations developing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), location often becomes one of the first questions in flight testing. Do you need to travel to a dedicated facility? Does testing only happen at a formal FAA UAS Test Site? What if your mission environment, customer or operational requirements exist somewhere else entirely?
The answer starts with understanding the difference between a Test Site and a Test Range, and why today’s most effective UAS testing increasingly depends on a mobile/remote UAS test range approach that brings capabilities directly to where operations happen.
At the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS), testing is not limited to one location in North Dakota. While the organization operates world-class testing environments across the state, our expertise, approvals, and operational infrastructure can also be deployed nationwide through remote testing capabilities.
We employ aircraft-agnostic 44803 airspace approvals anywhere in the United States and have flown missions throughout the country.
What Is a UAS Test Site?
As one of nine FAA-designated Test Sites, we’re a location where flight testing, operational validation and counter-UAS research occur, while adhering to the mission of integrating UAS into the National Airspace (NAS).
Test sites provide controlled environments, supporting infrastructure, airspace coordination, safety oversight, and operational expertise to evaluate aircraft systems, sensors, autonomy, communications, and mission performance.
In North Dakota, the NPUASTS supports testing at several established environments, including:
- GrandSKY – home to advanced UAS operations, commercial tenants, research partners, and innovation
- Camp Grafton Training Center – offering access to military training environments and mission-relevant operational scenarios
- Gorman Field UAS Test Range – supporting a range of developmental and operational flight testing requirements
Outside of the state, our extensive reach has enabled more than 22,000 flights and secured more than 50 Certificates of Authorizations from the FAA, flying in 20 states.
With secure operating environments, experienced personnel, and regulatory support, we help the UAS industry move efficiently from concept validation to operational readiness. Only a dedicated Test Site that has operated in as many states as we have can provide the answer for some missions.
What Is a Test Range?
A Test Range is a fixed location, with its operational capability being restricted to a permanent location. Think of a test range as the combination of expertise, procedures, safety systems, regulatory approvals, operational planning, airspace coordination, and flight-test support required to safely conduct meaningful testing.
In practical terms, a Test Site can employ and expand the abilities of a Test Range and make it mobile. Many organizations ultimately need to validate systems where they will actually operate along utility corridors, near critical infrastructure, at military installations, in disaster zones, or alongside customer operations.
Why a Mobile/Remote UAS Test Range Matters
Real-world scenarios require validation inside areas that may be outside of a range. Operators need testing that can encompass specific terrain, mimic public safety or utility applications or defense scenarios. The NPUASTS can bring mobile testing capabilities to the mission, within North Dakota or across the country.
Through operational approvals, safety frameworks, and regulatory expertise, including capabilities such as 44803 waivers, nationwide operational authorities, and scalable airspace integration support, we help testing in mission-relevant environments while maintaining structured flight-test rigor.
North Dakota Offers Purpose-Built Testing Advantages
While remote testing capabilities are increasingly important, North Dakota remains one of the country’s strongest UAS ecosystems. Organizations frequently leverage local environments when they need scalable beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) testing and airspace integration efforts or controlled testing environments like GrandSKY, Camp Grafton or Gorman Field UAS Test Range to provide secure, repeatable testing environments that help reduce operational uncertainty.
The NPUASTS brings more than airspace as expertise supports mission planning, operational safety, data collection, risk mitigation, regulatory coordination, and flight-test execution. For many operators, the fastest path forward combines both approaches: prototype and validate in North Dakota, then transition to mission-specific operational environments through a mobile/remote UAS test range model.
Bringing the Test Site to You
The most important UAS test site capability is not location, it is access to the operational expertise needed to test safely, efficiently, and compliantly. We support in-state or can deploy remote testing capabilities to customer-selected locations, helping teams test in the environments that matter most to their mission.
To the question, “where are we flying?” we answer: Wherever the mission needs to be.